As the federal government considers a clean energy target, one of its MPs is looking to nuclear power as a long-term solution. Nuclear technology sits hand in hand with concerns about North Korea but one federal MP believes there’s also room for it in the energy debate.

Assistant minister Jane Prentice on Thursday again flagged support for nuclear power as a long-term solution.

“It is clean and I think there are opportunities,” she told reporters in Canberra.

“I think the new nuclear technology is much safer than the old one and I think it should be on the discussion paper if we’re serious about long-term clean energy.”

The government is weighing up a clean energy target, the only recommendation it is yet to address from Chief Scientist Alan Finkel’s review of the national electricity market.

“Of course, our problem at the moment is short-term power and making it affordable, making it sustainable and reliable,” Ms Prentice said.